APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING ORDER WITH USED CONTAINERS

1 . A system for filling orders, comprising:

an order database storing a plurality of orders;

a used container database storing dimensions of a plurality of used containers; and

a control circuit coupled to the order database and the used container database, the control circuit being configured to:

determine a container requirement of an order in the order database based on dimensions of products in the order;

determine whether an available used container in the used container database meets the container requirement of the order;

in an event that an used container meets the container requirement of the order, assign the used container to the order; and

in an event that no available used container meets the container requirement of the order, select a new container for the order.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a storage system configured to store at least some of the plurality of used containers.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the storage system comprises indicators configured to indicate a storage location of the used container selected for the order.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the storage system comprises a container mover device configured to move the used container selected for the order from a storage location of the used container.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the storage system comprises a sensor system configured to measure dimensions of used containers in the storage system.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the used container database further stores storage locations of the plurality of used containers.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the container requirement comprises one or more of a minimal container dimension, a maximum container dimension, and a container type.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a container sorter configured to arrange at least some of the plurality of used containers based on a fulfillment sequence of orders assigned to each of the at least some of the plurality of used containers.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a labeling system configured to apply a label associated with the order to the used container or the new container selected for the order.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a consolidation system configured to consolidate items in the order into the used container or the new container selected for the order.

11 . A method for filling orders, comprising:

determining, with a control circuit, a container requirement of an order in an order database based on dimensions of products in the order;

determining, with the control circuit, whether an available used container in a used container database meets the container requirement of the order, the used container database storing dimensions of a plurality of used containers;

in an event that an used container meets the container requirement, assigning the used container to the order; and

in an event that no available used container meets the container requirement of the order, selecting a new container for the order.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the plurality of used containers are stored in a storage system.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the storage system comprises indicators configured to indicate a storage location of the used container selected for the order.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the storage system comprises a container mover device configured to move the used container selected for the order from a storage location of the used container.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the storage system comprises a sensor system configured to measure dimensions of used containers in the storage system.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the used container database further stores storage locations of the plurality of used containers.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the container requirement comprises one or more of a minimal container dimension, a maximum container dimension, and a container type.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

instructing a container sorter to arrange at least some of the plurality of used containers based on a fulfillment sequence of orders assigned to each of the at least some of the plurality of used containers.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

instructing a labeling system to apply a label associated with the order to the used container or the new container selected for the order.

20 . An apparatus for filling orders, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions; and

a control circuit configured to execute the set of computer readable instructions which causes to the control circuit to:

determine a container requirement of an order in an order database based on dimensions of products in the order;

determine whether an available used container in a used container database meets the container requirement of the order, the used container database storing dimensions of a plurality of used containers;

in an event that an used container meets the container requirement, assign the used container to the order; and

in an event that no available used container meets the container requirement of the order, select a new container for the order.